Christmas in Lothlorien: A Waking Dreams One-Shot
by xEruaphadrielx
Summary: Christmas just isn't Christmas when you're literally a world away from your family, but Christa would be damned if she wasn't going to have a merry holiday anyways. With some help from Haldir, she pulls together the perfect Christmas and realises just how fortunate she is to have so many wonderful friends by her side.


_Hey! I actually started this one-shot a whole year ago, and never had the chance to finish it until today! I was sitting in my living room by the tree and suddenly I wondered if I had saved this draft, and lo and behold, I had! So, eager to finally share it with you all, I quickly finished typing it up and am so excited to have finished it in time for Christmas day!_

 _This one-shot is actually a tie-in with my full-fledged story, Waking Dreams. You'll find that story on my profile, if you haven't already read it. There are two books, the second of which I am still working on, so feel free to check those out!_

 _I hope that you guys enjoy my little Christmas musings! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope that you are all able to spend your day with the people you love and cherish the most._

 _-Eru_

 _*As a side note, all dialogue in italics is being spoken in Sindarin (as not all characters speak the Common Tongue in my main story)._

* * *

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful…"

It was, in fact, sunny outside, and rather warm for December. I was used to the chill that seeped into my bones and make my chest ache, and winter in Lothlórien was nothing in comparison. The sun shone nearly everyday, and the only difference from summer was the slight temperature change.

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…"

If I was being honest with myself, I missed the snow. December without snow just seemed so… wrong. The fire popped behind me as I held up the card that I was working on. It was nearly finished, and I was rather proud of my cut-out Christmas trees and pop-out presents. Haldir was going to love it.

Putting the card down on the table, I spun around in my chair to face the fire. The light was growing dim in the late afternoon, and I now had nothing else to do. Haldir had been busy all day at a Guard meeting but had told me that he would be stopping by my flet when it was over. I was pleased that I had finished the card in time.

In the days previous, I had managed to find enough time to craft some decorations for my flet. Christmas was soon, and the fact that there was no such thing in Middle Earth was not going to keep me from celebrating. I was planning on making my flet as festive as possible. I was going to enjoy this rare opportunity to share a part of my world with my friends.

Paper chains of gold and red were piled under my bed, and many snowflakes had been painstakingly cut from empty feedbags that I had dug up at the stables. I just needed to hang everything up on Christmas Eve, and then surprise my friends with their gifts the next morning. I smiled at the idea, already excited to see their faces.

A knock at my door startled me from my Christmas plans, and I quickly realised that Haldir's meeting must have ended. Hiding the Christmas card in the table drawer, I stood up and went to the door.

"Hey," I greeted the elf as I swung the door open. Haldir looked tired but smiled when he saw me. "Long day?" I asked him as he invited me to join him outside. Grabbing my cloak, I closed my door behind me as he nodded.

"Yes. Discussion of many things, most of them routine and quite dull," Haldir replied as we started off on our walk. "What have you been up to today?"

"Oh, not much," I replied with a grin, unable to hide my enthusiasm. Haldir lifted an eyebrow and looked at me curiously, but I just shook my head. "I can't tell you about it yet. It's a surprise."

"A surprise?" Haldir chuckled. I nodded.

"Yeah. You have to wait a couple more days."

"Okay," he said, laughing. "It had better be a good surprise."

"Oh, it will be!" I said, practically bouncing at the thought. _Presents, decorations, cards… I should really go down to the dining hall and ask if they have anything to bake cookies with! And… Oh, I wonder…_

"Haldir," I said, stopping in my tracks, a thought suddenly jumping into my head. "This might sound weird, but are there any other trees in Lothlórien? Or just Mallyrn?"

"Other trees?" Now the Marchwarden looked really baffled. I laughed at his expression.

"Yeah, like, trees without leaves on them? With needles?"

"Um…" Furrowing his brow, he looked at me in concentration. "Perhaps, on the edge of the forest…" His expression changed when he noticed my excited expression. "We are not going to the edge of the forest."

"Why not?" I sulked, my mood suddenly falling. I had doubted that there would even be any evergreen trees around the forest, but Haldir's suggestion that there just might be had gotten me hopeful.

"It's too dangerous right now, Christa."

I knew he was right, of course, but I was put-out from falling from my momentary high. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and sighed. "Can't you just send some of the Galadhrim out and cut one down for me? I little one, I just need a small one. Like, this big," I said, looking up at him as I held my arm above my head. Haldir just shook his head, and I could tell that he was holding back a grin. I lowered my arm to my neck. "Okay, how about this big?"

"Christa, why do you need an evergreen tree?"

My arm dropped back to my side and I looked up at him, pouting. "For the surprise!"

"And you cannot use another type of tree?"

"No, it has to have needles on it. And be green," I replied with a sigh. I watched as a smile slowly appeared on Haldir's face.

"I may know of a place," he said after a moment. "A safe place, where we might find you an evergreen tree."

My eyes lit up and a grin split across my face. "Really? Where?"

"You remember the Valley where I took you for your Birthday?" I nodded eagerly, remembering the ride through the woods and my amazement at the gorgeous sunset. "On the edge of it, close to the river."

I clapped my hands together in excitement. "Let's go!"

Haldir laughed and caught my arm before I could run off towards the stables. "It's nearly dark. We can leave in the morning, though. I have nothing scheduled all morning."

"Perfect," I smiled, the muscles in my cheeks beginning to hurt. "Bright and early, okay? It has to be the perfect tree!"

"Bright and early," Haldir nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Was it necessary to pick the largest one?"

"There were larger ones," I replied, looking at the back of Haldir's head as we trekked through the woods. I could practically hear Haldir as he rolled his eyes. "And besides, it's not even as tall as I am. It really should have been bigger."

We had ridden to the valley at the crack of dawn, and, as luck had had it, we had managed to find a small grove of evergreen trees just where Haldir had said we would. They were young trees, many not much taller than I was. I had combed through them with a critical eye and had settled on the best one I could find. It was far from perfect, with branches bent at awkward angles and a top that stood crooked, but the sight of its needles bouncing with our every step made me smile.

The horses walked beside us as we made our way along the path, casting glances at the tree every so often as if wondering why we were lugging it along with us. Haldir had brought along enough rope for his horse to pull it, but I had insisted that we carry it. I didn't want it to lose any more needles than it was already missing.

"You do realise that you're going to have to tell me what this is for," Haldir said, hoisting the trunk into a more comfortable position.

"I've already told you, Haldir. You'll find out soon enough."

When we reached the stables, we propped the tree up against the side of the barn and went inside to untack and brush off the horses. I took care of Faenelin as quickly as I could, eager to get the tree up to my flet.

"Where are we taking this, then?" Haldir asked when he had joined me back outside.

"Up to my flet," I replied simply, enjoying the look of disbelief on Haldir's face.

"Why in the world would you want a tree in your flet?" Haldir asked me incredulously. I couldn't help but laugh at his expression and shook my head. "All part of this surprise of yours?" Haldir guessed as I laughed, and received a nod in response.

"I promise, it will be a great surprise," I said when he continued to give me a sceptical look. "And I hope that it will make more sense when I explain it all."

* * *

"This is the last flight, right?" I huffed, not daring to risk looking back over my shoulder as we climbed the stairs. I saw Haldir nod and sighed in relief.

Carrying the tree up all of the stairs had turned out to be a bigger task than I had anticipated. _Damn elves and their treehouses! Why can't they just live on the ground, like everyone else?_ I had agreed to take the stairs going backwards in return for carrying the trunk end of the tree, as it was easier to hold onto than the thin tip. Haldir had the other end on his shoulder and was looking ahead of himself, while I spent almost every instant staring at my feet, hoping that I wouldn't fall.

"Last three steps," Haldir warned me, and I sighed in relief as I counted them down before stepped onto the even planks of the landing.

"See? Easy as pie," I said, not even offering Haldir an explanation for my words as he looked at me quizzically. Setting the tree down on the floor, I rubbed my hands together, finger sore from gripping the trunk. Haldir noticed and shot me a look.

"Is all of this truly worth it?" he asked with a cheeky grin. I scowled playfully, stooping to pick up the tree again.

"Yes, of course it is. Now come on, we're almost there."

Getting the tree into my flet was tricky, and I winced as we squeezed it through the doorframe. When it had been pulled all the way through, we propped it up in the corner next to the door. There were nearly more needles on the floor now then there were on the tree, but I didn't really care. I had my Christmas tree.

"Okay," I said, turning back to the elf that stood, perplexed, by the door. "Time for you to leave," I said, using my hands to shoo him towards the door.

"What are you going to do with it?" Haldir asked me, still eyeing the tree.

"Nope. Not telling." I opened the door and steered him towards it, giving him a little push. He looked at me as he stood outside my door, amused.

"I don't trust you," he said with a grin. I smiled back, glad that he was still humouring my antics.

"Good," I laughed, before giving him a wave and gently closing the door on him.

* * *

Crafting enough ornaments for the tree proved much more time consuming than I had originally planned. Hoping that I was not committing some kind of unspoken sin in doing so, I had plucked several mallorn leaves from the branches outside of my window. Their golden shine was perfect for cutting into patterns and arranging on the tree. I had also been able to convince Raina to loan me some thin silver fabric from her tailor shop and had twisted it and then draped it around the tree like a garland.

It was late by the time I had finished, and as I sat back to admire my handiwork, I felt a pang of homesickness. My stomach flipped over on itself, and I bit my lip as the candlelight flickered off of the ornaments. I had not felt homesick for quite a while, but sitting here all alone with my Christmas tree was enough to trigger that feeling of loneliness.

 _Christmas without my family._ It was the first time I would not be sharing the dinner table with my parents, without the rest of my family that visited every year. I wouldn't get any of my mother's stuffing, nor my grandma's cookies. _It won't be the same for them, either._ The thought hit me like a tonne of bricks, and I sat motionless for a while as the guilt seeped into my gut.

It was better for me, really. At least I knew why I was here, for the most part. I knew how to get home. I just had to wait until the Ring was destroyed, and not tell anyone about how to go about doing so. When all was said and done, I would be back at home, as good as new. At least, that's how I hoped it would work out.

Resting a hand on my stomach, I took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. I just wished that there was some way to tell my family that I was all right, that I would be back with them at some point. To not give up hope that by some miracle, I would wake up.

 _Stop worrying,_ I begged myself. With a sigh, I stood up and stared at the tree. "My first Christmas as an elf… And hopefully, my last." It was going to be an experience, that was for sure. I was only going to get to do this once, and I wanted to have fun with it. Putting a smile on, I changed into my night clothes and settled down for the night, happy with the day's efforts.

* * *

I woke on Christmas morning with the same childish joy that I felt every year. There was no sparkling snow outside, nor the joyous sound of the church bells ringing down the road, but I didn't care. Christmas was here, and today I was going to celebrate it with my closest friends.

Vaulting out of bed, I hurried to my closet, where I had neatly placed the only red thing that I owned; a casual dress with a gold satin waist. I had not worn a dress in a while, despite Raina's constant chastising that it was not ladylike enough to march around in my tunic every day. Even though it wasn't my favourite thing in the world, the dresses were far from uncomfortable, and today was a special occasion. I figured that I might as well look the part. _And besides, it's the only red thing I own!_

Pulling my hair into two twists over my ears, I braided it down my back. After a quick look at myself in the mirror, I pulled on my slippers and cloak and hurried out the door, eager to find Haldir and Raina.

The dining hall was not as packed as it usually was, as most of the Galadhrim were out on patrol. Haldir would be returning to the border the day after tomorrow, but I didn't let myself dwell on the thought. Today was a day for celebrating, and I would let nothing put a damper on my mood.

It would not have been easy to pick out Haldir from the mass of golden heads if he had not been sitting in the same spot he sat every meal. A grin spread across my face as I made my way over to where he sat with his brothers, Rúmil and Orophin.

" _Good morning!"_ I sang as I sat down across from them. The three of them looked at me, Haldir smiling suspiciously.

" _Today wouldn't happen to be the day you unveil your surprise, would it?"_ Haldir asked with a grin. I raised my eyebrows.

" _How did you know?"_ I laughed, knowing full well that my abnormally bouncy behaviour was surely the giveaway. "Oh," I said quickly to myself as I realised that I had forgotten to get myself any food. _"I'll be right back! If you see Raina, could you flag her down?"_ Haldir nodded as I jumped up and headed for the buffet.

I returned a few minutes later, plate laden with warm food and fruit. Raina had joined us, and I sat down beside her. She looked at me curiously, a warm smile on her lips.

" _I have never seen you this happy,"_ she commented, eyes dancing. _"Except for the last time that Haldir returned from his patrol."_

I was unable to hide the blush that crept onto my cheeks as Raina looked sideways at the Marchwarden. Haldir gave her a sideways glance of his own as if warning her not to step over the line. I stifled a laugh despite my flushed cheeks and turned to Rúmil and Orophin, who sat quietly with amused expressions.

" _So,_ " I said, changing the subject. _"Today is_ _'Christmas'!"_ My declaration was met with blank expressions, and I grinned. _"At home, we give each other gifts on Christmas morning. I know that you don't have anything for me since I sprung this on you as a surprise, but I do have something for each of you! Everything is up in my flet, so when we're done eating, we're all going to go up, okay?"_

" _Christa!"_ Raina laughed, _"You got us gifts?"_

" _I made them,"_ I replied quickly, looking from Raina to the others. _"They aren't much, but I hope that you will like them."_

" _I'm sure we will,"_ Rúmil said quickly, earning a nod from Orophin.

I scarfed down my own meal as I encouraged the others to do the same. I couldn't wait to get up to my flet and see the expressions on my friends' faces.

* * *

" _Okay, okay, okay,"_ I said excitedly as we reached my door. I stopped in front of my flet and turned to face the four of them, a huge grin plastered on my face. _"Ready?"_

" _I'm not sure what exactly to be ready for,"_ Haldir joked, lifting an eyebrow.

" _Just look!"_ I bounced as I spun around and swung open the door. "Merry Christmas!"

I skipped into my flet and stood beside the door, watching anxiously as my friends entered and took in the sight before them. Rúmil stood with his mouth agape, while Orophin gazed at the tree in fascination. Raina's eyes were dancing as she watched the candlelight flickering off the ornaments that hung around the room. Haldir walked over to the middle of the room and turned in a slow circle, admiring all of my hard work.

" _So,_ 'Christmas' _is about shimmering decorations and trees inside?"_ He laughed, facing me with a smile. I laughed.

" _No,"_ I replied, shaking my head. _"But the decorating is my favourite part._ 'Christmas' _means different things to different people. For some, it's the celebration of the birth of a holy child,"_ I explained, giving the simplest explanation that I could come up with. _"But for me, it was always more about giving and being thankful for everything that I have. But most of all, it's about spending time with the people that I love."_ I finished with a sad smile, looking around me at the faces of my friends. They all smiled.

" _I might miss my family, but you guys are my family now, and I can't imagine a better group of people to be spending today with,"_ I added, stopping myself before I could get to sappy with my ramblings.

" _We are grateful to be held in such high regard,"_ Raina said softly, approaching me and resting a hand on my shoulder.

" _Of course,"_ I replied, grinning at her and everyone else. _"I love you all so much, and I'm so thankful for everything that you've done for me. I could never have been so happy here if it weren't for you guys."_ Pausing, I chuckled, catching myself doing exactly what I had just tried to prevent myself from doing. _"Anyways, presents!"_

Scurrying over to my closet, I pulled the door open and stood on my tiptoes to reach the top shelf. Pulling the small parcels out, I dropped the armful on the bed. The parcels tumbled onto the sheets, the parchment rustling.

" _One at a time, so that I can watch your reactions,"_ I giggled in excitement as I picked up the first gift and looked at the tag. _"Rúmil, you get to open yours first."_

" _I'm curious,"_ he grinned as I passed him the parcel. _"You have been generous, Christa."_

" _Oh, they aren't much,"_ I said bashfully as he unfolded the paper and pulled out a small wooden carving of a rabbit. A leather band was attached through a small hole. Smiling, Rúmil held the carving up and admired it. _"I've never carved anything before, so they each took a pretty long time,"_ I chuckled.

" _I think it is beautiful,"_ Rúmil smiled, pulling the band over his head and letting the carving rest against his chest. I grinned as my cheeks flushed, glad that he liked it.

Orophin and Raina opened their gifts next; each pulling back the parchment to find a similar carving of a hawk and a deer, respectively. Raina immediately held her deer close and beamed at me, thanking me graciously for her gift. Orophin pulled his over his head as his brother had done and thanked me as well, giving me credit for all of my hard work.

" _I guess you're last,"_ I said to Haldir as I passed the last parcel to him. He took it and pulled back the paper to reveal the final carving; this one of a wolf. Tossing the paper onto the bed, he held the wooden figure up to his eye and smiled thoughtfully. _"A wolf,"_ he said, glancing at me from behind the figure. _"You've matched us with woodland animals, I take it?"_

My cheeks reddened slightly as I chuckled. _"I wasn't going to tell you; I thought it was a bit silly."_

" _No,"_ Haldir said, shaking his head. _"I quite like the idea. Why did you choose the animals that you did?"_

Smiling sheepishly, I looked at each of my friends. _Curse you for being so observant, Haldir._ _"Well, Raina, your pendant is a deer because they are quiet and kind. Also, you have such soft, gentle eyes, like a doe,"_ I explained, tumbling over my words. I laughed at my own nervousness before looking at Orophin.

" _I chose a hawk for you, Orophin, because you are pensive and watchful. Nothing gets by you."_ I was pleased to see him chuckle at my words. _"But even though you're quiet, I know you're an excellent warrior. I've never seen you fight but judging by what I know of the elves, you're all pretty sneaky; no one sees you coming until it's already too late._

" _Rúmil, you got a rabbit because you're the most curious of the family."_

" _I'm also the cutest,"_ he teased, earning an eye roll from Haldir. I grinned.

" _Definitely. But you're also quick-thinking and witty. So I thought a rabbit was a good fit for you."_

Turning to Haldir, I glanced at the wolf that he still held in his palm. Smiling, I looked back up at him, meeting his gaze. _"Haldir, you got the wolf, because you're a natural-born leader. You know the best choices to make for the safety of the pack. You're strong and quick, and you work well both on your own and with a group. Everything that you do, you put your heart into it, and you protect the things that you love with everything you have."_ Taking a breath, I smiled. _"I hope that you like it,"_ I finished, my gaze lingering on Haldir before looking to the rest of my friends.

" _We love them,"_ Raina said fondly, a broad grin spreading across her face. _"Thank you, Christa."_

" _You're welcome,"_ I replied, my cheeks still warm. I was so overjoyed that they all loved their gifts so much.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Haldir turned to the tree. _"You said that this occasion was about spending time with loved ones. Why was it necessary to drag this tree into your flet, again?"_

At his question, I nearly doubled over in laughter. Blinking, I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked across the room at him. _"To be honest with you, I have no idea what the tree has to do with '_ Christmas' _. Everyone does it; it just isn't '_ Christmas' _without a '_ Christmas tree' _!"_

" _Well, I suppose it was worth all the effort to see you in such good spirits,"_ Haldir smiled fondly. Pulling his band around his head, he tucked the pendant beneath his tunic safely and crossed his arms in front of his chest. _"And it does smell nice in here."_

" _Yeah,"_ I agreed. _"All that's missing are some cookies and_ 'eggnog' _."_

"'Egg nog?'" Rúmil cocked his head to the side inquisitively.

" _I'm not really sure what eggnog is, either,"_ I laughed. _"But we drink it at_ 'Christmas.' _We put alcohol in it."_

"'Christmas' _seems complicated,"_ Haldir observed.

" _I mean, in all fairness, I guess it might seem that way to you guys,"_ I replied, smiling fondly. _"But like I said earlier, it's more about the people you spend it with than the decorations and the food."_

" _We are glad to be able to celebrate_ 'Christmas' _with you, even if we might not be able to grasp the idea behind your traditions,"_ Rúmil grinned broadly.

" _Or the reason why you needed to have a tree in your flet,"_ Haldir laughed.

" _Oh, forget about the tree, Haldir,"_ I shot back with a chuckled of my own, playfully swatting at his arm. We all laughed, and I took a moment to looked at the people around me. People who, just a few short months ago, I could never have imagined spending my days with. People who I had never believed to be real. _Characters,_ I reminded myself with a smile. It was surreal, seeing them now in the twinkling candlelight, the Christmas tree and decorations behind them. Pulling myself from the bed, I ushered everyone in for a group hug, glad that they were all willing to humour me.

" _I love you guys,"_ I said, choking back tears as so many emotions went running through my head.

I felt a hand on my back and looked up to see Haldir on my right. He pulled me in closer and gave me a firm squeeze. _"Thank you for the best_ 'Christmas' _ever, Christa."_

I laughed and hugged him back with the arm that I had wrapped around his shoulders before we all freed ourselves from the hug. _"Thank you guys for going along with all of this. I know it seems crazy, but it really helped me."_

" _You are like family to us, Christa,"_ Raina said softly, reaching out to grasp my hand between hers.

Chocking back a sob, I wiped away a tear that had escaped and chuckled, slightly embarrassed at my display of emotion. Despite all of the challenges that I had faced since arriving in Middle Earth, I had not felt so fortunate in a long time. I knew how lucky I was to have found such a caring and compassionate group of friends. I promised to never let them down and to cherish every moment that I had left with them. Though it was impossible not to dream ahead to the day when I would finally be able to return home, I knew it would be extremely difficult to say goodbye to these special people.

This might not have been the same as the Christmases that I had had growing up. We might not have cut the Christmas cake or been able to light up the tree with twinkling lights, but I was surrounded by four of the most special people who I had ever had the blessing to call my friends, and that was better than any Christmas tradition that I had ever experienced.

Taking a long look at the four elves as they all stood around my flet in the candlelight, I smiled and took a deep breath of the familiar smell of evergreen, knowing that this would be a day that I would hold dear to my heart for the rest of my life.

"Merry Christmas, guys."


End file.
